Here's the Truth About Queen Elizabeth II 'Gold Coffin' and Embalmed Body
Queen Elizabeth II's "gold coffin" has drawn angry reactions from some netizens, including a top politician from Mexico. Infobae reported that Gerardo Fernandez Norona, a federal deputy for the Labor Party or Partido del Trabajo (PT), criticized the queen's gold coffin, even calling it an insult.
He issued the comment as he retweeted a photo of a coffin covered with gold on Twitter, which the user said belonged to the late monarch.
"And to think that many people in the world do not have money to be buried, not even for a cardboard box," the Twitter user with an account name Capitan Yury said in a translated tweet. Norona supported the user's statement by retweeting it and even calling that luxury "an insult.
However, it turned out that the luxurious coffin belonged to the late legendary Mexican singer José Jose, who had been buried in a gold-plated coffin worth $25,000 in September 2019.
According to Infobae, the casket was never opened at the request of the singer's children, and the photo posted on Twitter was taken during his public funeral at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium.
Born Jose Romulo Sosa Ortiz, the Mexican entertainer, hailed as the "Prince of Song," died September 28, 2019 in Miami after a long battle against pancreatic cancer. He was 71.
Twitter users immediately criticized Norona for falling into this fake news. Some netizens commented that Norona, as a "legislator," should verify the information first before "publishing nonsense [information]." A netizen also sarcastically said that he did not know that José Jose was the Queen.
On Monday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed that Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard will attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral on September 19 on behalf of Mexico.
Queen Elizabeth II's Coffin Was Made of English Oak, Crafted 32 Years Ago
Queen Elizabeth II's real coffin was actually made of wood. Specifically, it was made of English oak, which has become increasingly rare these days, as most wooden coffins now are mostly made from American oak.
According to Money Control, the Queen's coffin was crafted at least 32 years ago and has been lined with lead as part of a royal tradition to help preserve the corpse longer after it has been buried.
Lead makes the casket airtight and helps stop moisture from getting inside, but it also makes a coffin heavier than normal. It has been reported that Queen Elizabeth II's coffin requires eight pallbearers to move it.
Leverton & Sons, a London's family firm of undertakers working for the royal family since 1991, told The Times that they inherited the coffin from the previous firm of royal funeral directors, Kenyons.
According to The Times, the coffin's brass handles were also uniquely designed for royal caskets, with a company in Birmingham City responsible for them.
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Has Queen Elizabeth II's Body Been Embalmed?
Being embalmed is a matter of contention for the royal family, with many royals opting not to get embalmed. According to the Daily Star, the tradition of lead-lined coffins also does not make the process of embalming necessary, as it makes the body last longer.
It was still not known whether or not Queen Elizabeth had been embalmed or not as no official information had been released yet. However, some reports claimed the late monarch had been embalmed.
It has also been reported that some monarchs did not want to be embalmed because of what happened to Queen Victoria's body following her death in 1603 when her body and head exploded one night due to a build of gases.
Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week at age 96, will be buried in the King George VI memorial chapel at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
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Written by: Rick Martin
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